Toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush comprising a main body divided into a handle section and an integral brush head section having upstanding brush bristles secured thereto. The handle section is of hollow tubular form for holding a dentifrice and has a discharge opening therein for ejecting the dentifrice between said brush bristles when the tubular handle section is compressed.

United States Patent [191 Boger 1 June 24, 1975 1 1 TOOTHBRUSH [76] Inventor: Leon H. Boger, 2523 SE. 71st Ave,

Portland, Oreg. 97206 [22] Filed: May 15, 1973 211 App]. No.: 360,607

[52] US. Cl 206/229; 15/167 [51] Int. Cl. 865d 79/00 [58] Field of Search 206/229, 361;- 15/176, 167;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,402 5/1932 Maher 401/152 2,454,995 11/1948 Curran l 206/361 X 2,582,404 l/1952 Zavada 15/167 R X 2,592,099 4/1952 Ackerman 15/167 R X 2,705,335 4/1955 Glassman et 211... 15/167 R X 3,301,267 l/1967 Gerardi et al.... 206/229 X 3,368,668 2/1968 Micciche 206/229 Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Steven M. Pollard Attorney, Agent, or FirmJames D. Givnan, Jr.

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT A toothbrush comprising a main body divided into a handle section and an integral brush head section having upstanding brush bristles secured thereto. The handle section is of hollow tubular form for holding a dentifrice and has a discharge opening therein for ejecting the dentifrice between said brush bristles when the tubular handle section is compressed.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures TOOTHBRUSH This invention relates to improvements in toothbrushes and has for its principal objects:

To provide an inexpensive throwaway toothbrush whose main body is of tubular form, preferably, though not restrictively, made from a drinking straw flattened at one end for a minor portion of its length to form a brush head section provided with upstanding brush bristles secured thereto in any suitable manner, or by a section of a continuous tape provided with upstanding brush bristles and adapted to be severed into a length to fully occupy the flattened or brush head portion of the main body of the toothbrush.

To provide a toothbrush of the character described which is of simple, efficient and such inexpensive construction that it can be produced at minimal cost and given as souvenirs to occupants of motels,'hotel rooms, and the like.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a toothbrush made in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the right end of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the left end of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of bristle-bearing divisible tape material.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, numeral 1 indicates, generally, the main body of the toothbrush which is of tubular form for the major portion of its length to provide a handle section 2 and flattened at one end to provide a brush head section indicated generally at 3.

The hollow tubular handle section 2 may be filled with a dentifrice, not shown, and sealed as at 4 at its free end.

The opposite end or head section of the main body is flattened as at 5 and internally cohesively or adhesively sealed and provided on its exterior with upstanding brush bristles 7 into which the dentifrice from the handle section 2 may be applied by escapement through a discharge opening 8 at the head end of the handle section 2 when that section is compressed.

The modification shown in FIG. 5 comprises a length of tape material indicated generally at 10, divisible into separable sections 11 each of which is provided with two or more rows of brush bristles indicated at 12.

In the first form of the invention the bristles 7 may be secured in any suitable manner to the flattened end section 5.

What I claim is:

l. A disposable toothbrush for one time use, said toothbrush comprising in combination,

a main body including a tubular section of a compressible nature constituting a handle and adapted to store a quantity of dentifrice, said tubular section terminating at one end in a flattened portion to seal said one end, said main body terminating at its opposite end in a flattened head section interiorly coated with an adhesive for 'the purpose of retaining the head section in a flattened, sealed configuration, said tubular section of the main body defining an opening adjacent the head section for the discharge of the dentifrice from the tubular section upon the latter being manually compressed, and

tape mounted bristles affixed to said flattened head section to receive dentifrice from the discharge opening. 

1. A disposable toothbrush for one time use, said toothbrush comprising in combination, A MAIN BODY INCLUDING A TUBULAR SECTION OF A COMPRESSIBLE NATURE CONSTITUTING A HANDLE AND ADAPTED TO STORE A QUANTITY OF DENTIFRICE, SAID TUBULAR SECTION TERMINATING AT ONE END IN A FLATTENED PORTION TO SEAL SAID ONE END, SAID MAIN BODY TERMINATING AT ITS OPPOSITE END IN A FLATTENED HEAD SECTION INTERIORLY COATED WITH AN ADHESIVE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETAINING THE HEAD SECTION IN A FLATTENED, SEALED CONFIGURATION, SAID TUBULAR SECTION OF THE MAIN BODY DEFINING AN OPENING ADJACENT THE HEAD SECTION FOR THE DISCHARGE OF THE DENTIFRICE FROM THE TUBULAR SECTION UPON THE LATTER BEING MANUALLY COMPRESSED, AND TAPE MOUNTED BRISTLES AFFIXED TO SAID FLATTENED HEAD SECTION TO RECEIVE DENTIFRICE FROM THE DISCHARGE OPENING. 